"There but for the grace of God go I." These days, I find my self mumbling that little prayer when I see someone who has fallen on hard times, which is fairly often.

They've lost a job, become ill or had a loved one get sick, gotten divorced, succumbed to addiction, had an accident, or run into any of the many other hurdles life can throw in our way. Here in Cobb County you don't have to look very hard to see folks in need of help.

I'm relatively new here, so I was gratified to learn about the Center for Family Resources late last year in a story published by the MDJ. Here's an organization dedicated to providing the resources to help people in trouble become independent and self-sufficent so they can break the cycle of poverty in which they're stuck. CFR accomplishes its mission by providing temporary financial assistance to stabilize families in crisis; housing for low-income and homeless families in a safe and secure environment; and education and training to prepare participants to earn a sustainable wage.

Learning is a lifelong process and libraries are part of our ongoing education. Libraries are something every community needs. Yet, here in Cobb County, some regard libraries as needless extravagances, a waste of tax payer money. In Bozeman, Montana, where I spend a good deal of time, citizens there have a beautiful 53,000 sq. ft. public library ( http://www.bozemanlibrary.org/) that's a community gathering place. Opened in 2006, it offers a wide range of free programs and services for all ages along with best sellers in regular and large print, books on disc, classics, movies, music recordings, periodicals, Internet access, a used magazine exchange, and even a coffee shop in the lobby. The Bozeman Public Library is always busy. Anchoring the east side of the town's main thoroughfare, it attracts young and old residents alike to downtown Bozeman, where shops and restaurant's benefit from their presence. Built at a cost of $17 million, $4 million raised through a bond issue, it's a library that makes good business and intellectual sense. In contrast to Bozeman's library, our public library in Kennesaw is a sad little affair, tucked away on a side street as though it's trying to hide. It's dedicated staff works hard, but they're fighting a losing battle for the resources they need to help them fulfill their mission. The populations of both cities are roughly the same. Like Bozeman, Kennesaw is home to an important state university. Shouldn't we have an important library, too? Would a library like the one in Bozeman infuse downtown Kennesaw with the same kind of energy and commerce? I think it so.

There actually is a new library in the master plan for Kennesaw’s Depot Park. The library would go from its current 5000 square feet to 15,000. We can all hope that the dream will become a reality sooner rather than later and help spur economic development in downtown Kennesaw. In the meantime, the Kennesaw Branch is a vibrant, friendly and busy place - in fact, in spite of its size, it is one of the busiest in the entire Cobb County Public Library System.

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